Book Tour for Demon Within by Rebecca Royce (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Those looking for an intriguing mix of thrills and chills will get just that with Demon Within by Rebecca Royce.  Keep reading to learn more about this scary yet steamy read through a brief excerpt along with my impressions of it.  Make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win ebooks and an Amazon GC!

Dakota Daniels is an exorcist. Or at least she used to be, until a demon destroyed her life, killing her mother and sending her into hiding. She never knows what’s around the next corner or whether she’ll live through the night.

Brady Knox, billionaire tech guru and media darling, is a man used to getting what he wants. Except when it comes to his sister Sydney. She is the secret he never tells a soul. After all, how do you tell the world your sister has been possessed since she was ten years old without seeming like a lunatic?

When Brady seeks out Dakota’s assistance, he expects to get it. When she doesn’t comply, he’s willing to use every resource at his disposal—even if that means seducing her into doing his bidding.

Dakota’s body yearns for Brady but she isn’t easily fooled, and if she decides to help him it will be on her own terms—assuming they can both make it through the night with their souls intact.

EXCERPT:

“You’re a hard woman to find.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Running would have been the smarter move.
“You’ve changed your name about ten times.” He raised a dark eyebrow. “Am I right? I know about ten but I guess you could have done it more than that.”
Twelve, if he wanted to be exact. Not that she intended to share that information. “Are you from the IRS? I’ve paid all my taxes in every name.”
She could only wish he’d come looking for money…
Brady laughed, the movement taking some of the heaviness from his face. How old was this man? He could be anywhere from thirty to forty. The worry lines around his mouth and eyes made it hard to be certain.
“I’m told you can help my sister.”

BUY LINKS:   BN   |   ELLORA'S CAVE   |   AMAZON

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Rebecca Royce has written a short story long on thrills and chills.  Demon Within grabs your attention from the start and keeps you on the edge of your seat until its heart-pounding ending.  Horror aspects are nicely balanced with steamy romantic interludes to keep you fully invested in these character's outcomes and has you rooting for them to defeat evil.

Dakota's life has always revolved around defeating demons alongside her mother.  They often combined their powers to help those possessed until the day Dakota's moment of hesitation led to her mother's death.  She's been on the run ever since from her perceived failures until she's forced to revisit her past to save a young woman.  Dakota's a strong-willed woman who's let the past rule her entire future.  She was a child when her mother died and her hesitation was understandable given the shock and sorrow of the event.  I applaud her strength in now facing her personal demons as well as real ones.  She was given a divine gift and it's her duty to use it.  Using her powers is a way to honor her mother and helps her put her emotional loss further behind her.

Brady too has carried guilt around since his childhood as he thinks he's responsible for his twin sister's demonic possession.  It's led him on a non-stop journey to finding someone to release her from her pain and unwittingly led him to a woman who's true purpose isn't clear.  From the moment he set eyes on Dakota he was drawn to her and though he'd do anything to save his sister, he'd also do anything to have Dakota.  He seemed callous at first as he would manipulate Dakota to gain her assistance, but it soon became clear that he does have a heart as his protective instincts kicked in to agonize over what he was asking her to do for his sister.  He became her protector and her ally and helped her regain her true powers through his unconditional belief in her.  They end up a very formidable match for the demons they plan to excise.

The scenes dealing with the exorcism are very atmospheric with an unrelenting sense of doom.  We soon learn that the woman who led Brady to Dakota has a devious agenda of her own that is based on a previous meeting with Dakota and her mother.  Her plan isn't quite clear but it doesn't bode well for Dakota.  The build-up to this scene gave me chills but its conclusion was a bit of a letdown as the action crescendoed into complete quiet.  The romance hints at a mutual HEA but nothing is truly set in stone as their happiness feels more like a beginning than an end.  Those looking for a thrilling and steamy way to spend the afternoon will find this the perfect way to escape as Ms. Royce again doesn't disappoint.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the publisher for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.
Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They’ve just moved to Texas where Rebecca is discovering a new love for barbecue!
She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.
In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

www.rebeccaroyce.com
www.rebeccaroyce.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/#!/rebeccaroyce
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Royce/172551376131638?sk=wall

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Rebecca will be awarding a backlist ebook to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop during the tour, and a grand prize of a $30 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 8/2.

Book Tour for Playing the Field by Jennifer Seasons (Review)

Sports-themed stories are fast becoming my favorite kinds of books so I'm excited to bring you Playing the Field by Jennifer Seasons.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of this book along with my impressions of it..........

Single mother Sonny Miller has spent years avoiding love. A rotten childhood and an even rottener ex-boyfriend left her determined to protect her son—and herself—against the risks of romance. That is, until hotshot ballplayer JP Trudeau swaggers into her carefully constructed life, all sin-with-me eyes and irresistible grin. Sonny can't help but feel drawn to the sexy, confident man, even as every fiber of her being tells her to keep running the bases . . .
JP is known for being fast on his feet, not fast with his heart. But meeting Sonny and her boy sparks something in him—something he's never felt before, not from all the cleat-chasers in the major leagues. Sonny may be hell-bent on keeping him at arm's length no matter what, but this rookie has a plan. To get the girl, he must step up to the plate and convince her to take another chance on love . . . before this game gets rained out.

EXCERPT:

“Hey, Charlie. Want to see a magic trick?”
The kid nodded vigorously, “Yeah!”
Glancing behind him to make sure the photographers were watching, JP held up the ball and announced, “Now you see it, now you don’t.”
That got their attention. Camera shutters started clicking as he went about amazing the boy with the one and only trick he knew. Even Sonny seemed to be fascinated. She kept leaning forward from her hideout a few feet away to get a better view. When he held out his hands in front of him and the ball had disappeared, Charlie’s eyes went wide.“No way!”
“How did you do that?” came her sexy voice behind him.
Not finished, JP shot her a wink and relaxed his stance. “Magic.”
She gave him a face and he outright laughed. “I don’t believe in magic.”
Now that was really just too bad. Everybody needed a little magic in their lives. “Here, Charlie. Why don’t you take my hat for a second?” He took off his cap and handed it to the kid.
Thoroughly engrossed in the trick, the boy grabbed it eagerly and asked, “Where’d the ball go?” He’d been scanning the ground like he was hunting for Easter eggs.

Sonny stepped up beside him and added, “The real question is if you can bring it back.” The skepticism in her tone implied she didn’t think he could.

How wrong she was. “Thanks for holding my hat, kid. I’ll take it back now.”

Charlie handed it back and JP made a display of putting it on his head. “Ouch. Man, what is that?” Faking confusion, JP pulled off his hat and turned it over, inside facing up. And right there in the center of his cap was the ball, snowy white in the afternoon sun.

The boy practically shoved his face into the ball cap. “Holy cow! How did you do that?”

One of the guys from the Post piped up nearby, scribbling furiously on a tiny notepad. “Hey, Trudeau. Want to introduce us to your friends?” He glanced up from the pad and adjusted his eyeglasses. “You know, for the byline.”

JP flashed his best grin. “Sure. This here is Charlie Miller, shortstop for . . .” He trailed off and glanced down at the kid in question. “What’s your team’s name?”

Charlie puffed out his chest and stood as tall as he could. To the reporter he boasted, “I play for the Longmont Hawks.”

Sonny spoke up, her voice soft and kind of tense. “Is this just your normal? I mean, all these photographers and stuff?”

Glancing down, he noted she looked tense too. He was so used to being in the public eye that he forgot how uncomfortable it could be to some. “Yeah, it’s pretty much just part of life. You get used to it.”

She looked up at him and her gorgeous eyes shuttered. “I couldn’t do it.” He opened his mouth to respond when a thump thump on a microphone turned his attention toward the low stage. The event coordinator was almost ready to give her speech. That was his cue to get moving.

“Hey, I have to go. But it was great meeting you, Charlie.”

His gaze slid to Sonny. A lazy smile curved his lips. “It’s been a real pleasure.”

He watched color bloom in her cheeks and couldn’t stop the heat that started to coil in his belly. Didn’t particularly want to, if truth be told. He’d never dated a single mom before, but then again he’d never encountered one like her either. It was more than just her looks and the fact that he was seriously attracted to her.

She had something.

BUY LINKS:   AMAZON   |   BN   |   ITUNES

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As the second book in the Diamonds and Dugouts series we get to revisit the Boys of Summer as they're on the hunt for the women of their dreams.  Playing the Field features an older woman, younger man theme and realistically displays all the issues pertaining to a single mother and the perceptions of what a young man wants out of life.  The romance of upbeat and confident JP and the overly cautious Sonny, who's quick to assume the worst, is a slightly rocky one that's both sweet and teeming with sexual tension.  From start to finish it's a fun story that had me falling completely for JP while being left frustrated by Sonny at times.

Sonny is a strong-willed woman who's devoted her whole life to her son, Charlie.  She's neglected her own love life to make his dreams come true when possible.  She's been hurt emotionally numerous times throughout her life and it's made her completely suspicious of everything that remotely promises to bring her happiness.  She was immediately attracted to JP but fought against him every step of the way using her son as a shield.  JP did everything to prove himself but Sonny was a hard one to win over.  Even when they appeared to be heading towards a HEA she overreacted in a childish way that left me disappointed in her.  It took a grand gesture to finally convince her and though their HEA was satisfying, I still think JP deserved a bigger apology from her.

JP is the ideal hero, charming and sexy.  He's young in years but mature in his heart and soul.  He knows what he wants out of life and who he wants in it.  He's immediately drawn to Sonny and has no problem becoming an instant father to Charlie.  He's immensely good interacting with Charlie and though he longs to jump Sonny's bones he understands she's gun shy and is willing to take their relationship slowly.  Watching him woo her makes him even sexier as he shows a sweet and caring side in his dealings with her, right alongside the overpowering sexiness that radiates off him.  His grand gesture was especially endearing though unnecessary as their falling out was clearly Sonny's fault.  It just shows how important she and Charlie are to him that he was willing to take the steps necessary to bring them all back together.

This story brought a smile to my face as JP and Sonny were a delightfully compatible couple.  Their sexual interludes were steamy but not too hot.  The majority of their time together was spent getting to know each other which allowed us to get to know them.  Not only do we get to meet a wonderful main couple but we get glimpses of the other ball players who are all charming and sexy themselves.  I can see many wonderful stories still to come in this series as these players are to die for.  Barring my momentary unhappiness with Sonny I found this story a wonderful read and can't wait for the next installment.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from Avon for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Jennifer Seasons is a Colorado transplant. She lives with her husband and four children along the Front Range, where she enjoys breathtaking views of the mighty Rocky Mountains every day. A dog and two cats keep them company. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family outdoors, exploring her beautiful adopted home state.

http://www.jenniferseasons.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.seasons.3?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/JenniferSeasons
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6567845.Jennifer_Seasons

Book Tour for Decadence by Karen Stivali (GIVEAWAY)

I'm bringing a bit of spiciness to your Tuesday with Decadence by Karen Stivali.  Keep reading to get a taste of this decadent delight and leave a comment for your chance to win a book from Ms. Stivali's backlist.

A book in the Spice Rack series.

In eight years of marriage, Eric Carlson has never forgotten to kiss his wife Jessica goodbye—until this morning. As Jessica runs her errands, all she can think about is the missing kiss. When Eric calls to tell her he thinks he left the toaster oven on, she rushes home, annoyed and afraid her house may be burning down. Instead of smoke and flames she finds Eric, looking hot and sexy as hell as he prepares fresh waffles.

Eric knows he and Jessica have been drifting apart. He’s bought the hot new product everyone’s talking about—the Spice Rack, guaranteed to spice up your love life. The jar he opens advises them to “Spend a decadent day indulging all your senses.” With the whole day ahead of them, a fridge full of tempting treats and the house to themselves for a change, that’s exactly what Eric intends to do—in the kitchen, on the washing machine, wherever the mood strikes. And Jessica’s got a super-steamy surprise for him too.

EXCERPT:

He didn’t even kiss me goodbye. Jessica knew it was silly to get upset over something so minor, but she couldn’t help it. In the eight years they’d been married, she couldn’t remember another morning when Eric had forgone the farewell kiss. Sure, the kids were running amok, a sea of backpacks and lunchboxes, but that was normal. Eric saying goodbye with a wave was not.

“See you later.” He’d thrown her his trademark sexy grin. She’d stood still for a few seconds, holding the door open as the kids piled out of the house, waiting. And…nothing.

While queued in the drop-off line at the elementary school, she flipped open the vanity mirror. She didn’t look like a beauty queen but at least she’d showered. Her skin was clear, her cheeks even a bit rosy from gardening the day before. She grimaced. I should have brushed my hair. Dark hair, wavy and out of control, pulled into a loose ponytail paired with t-shirt and yoga pants. I look like a teenager. Not exactly sexy. Frowning at her reflection, she heard the car behind her honk.

“Mom, pull up, it’s our turn.” Timmy, though only seven, had been a backseat driver for nearly five years.

“Sorry.” She inched the car toward the orange drop-off cone and stopped. “Have a good day, guys. I love you.”

“Love you too, mom,” the chorus of three came from the backseat as they scrambled out the door.

Taking a last quick glance in the mirror, she snapped it shut and eased back into the parking lot. As she was about to turn onto the main road, her cell rang. XXXXX, Eric’s ringtone. She fumbled in her purse and slid the purple case open. Holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she pulled onto the street, not wanting to get beeped at a second time this morning.

“Hey, sweetie,” Eric said. “Can you do me a favor?”

Sighing, Jessica shifted to keep the phone in place as she changed lanes. “What’s up?”

“I know you said you were going to the grocery store, but I need you to stop home first. I think I may have left the toaster oven on.”

“Can’t you go check?”

“I’ve got a really important meeting this morning. I need you to do it. Please?” She could hear the smile in his voice. The charming, irresistible smile to which she’d never been able to say no.

“Fine.” Even if you didn’t bother to kiss me this morning.

“Thanks.”                    

Did he just chuckle?

She hung up and tossed the phone back into her purse. Great. Now I have to go all the way home, which means I won’t get to the store for another hour. Not that it was a huge deal. With all three boys in school this year she had her days to herself. She’d been looking forward to that for years, but it wasn’t as fun and freeing as she’d expected. All the same responsibilities were there. The house still needed to be cleaned, dinner still needed to be made, laundry was always piling up. And she always had a stack of work on her desk. Freelance graphic design was the perfect work-from-home job and she could do it any time of day or night, but lately she felt as though everything was getting away from her. Somehow she’d had more structure to her days when the kids were home than she managed to have with them in school all day.

As she turned onto her block she couldn’t help but look for signs of smoke pouring from her windows. God, I hope he didn’t really leave the toaster oven on. What the hell was he even using the toaster oven for? Eric ate cereal for breakfast, though now that she thought about it she hadn’t seen him pour himself a bowl this morning. She’d been too distracted by the fact that he was wearing only pajama pants as he plodded around the kitchen. She’d been so busy the past few weeks with back-to-school shopping and beginning-of-term projects they’d barely spent any time together. Seeing him bare chested, hair tousled from bed, reminded her that it had been a while. Too long. Her stomach fluttered from a combination of longing for Eric and fear that her house might be burning.

Jessica slammed the door of the minivan shut, breathing in deeply to see if she could catch any hint of smoke in the air. Nothing. As she opened the front door, another scent greeted her instead. The incredibly delightful aroma of…waffles. Why does the house smell like waffles? She rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw the waffle maker on the counter with Eric poised before it, faded jeans slung low on his narrow hips, a t-shirt clinging to his muscular back, dark hair still damp from a shower hanging loosely into his eyes. A wave of heat washed over her, settling between her legs. Her mouth watered from thoughts of more than just a bite of the waffle Eric was lifting out of the grates.

“Perfect timing,” he said, grinning so wide the dimples on his cheeks were positively cavernous. Blue eyes twinkled at her, full of mischief.

“What are you doing?” She tossed her purse onto the counter, mystified.

“Celebrating Mother’s Day.” He plucked a strawberry out of the colander in the sink, swirled it in a bowl of what appeared to be freshly whipped cream, and approached.

“Mother’s Day is in May. It’s October fifteenth.”

“I know.” He held the plump red berry close enough that she felt the gentle brush of cream melting against her lips. “I was thinking it was something we should celebrate more than once a year.”

She curled her tongue around the cream-covered berry and gave a quick suck before biting off a piece.

The moan Eric emitted sent a tremor rolling down her body, making her knees weak. His lips were on hers before she finished chewing. The sweetness of his velvety tongue blended perfectly with the fruit and cream. This was already better than any Mother’s Day she could recall.

AUTHOR INFO:

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends, who never seem to mind the excessive quantities she tends to prepare. She attributes her ability to multitask to the fact that she rarely sleeps, which gives her more hours every day. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what's left of her time and sanity.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic tales filled with sarcasm and sexy details. Although she writes in three genres (erotic romance, contemporary romance and women's fiction) all of her stories are love stories with happily ever after endings.

Karen has published several erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave including two award winning stories: Always You (published September 2011, First Place Winner of the RWA Passionate Plume Award - 2012) Marry Me (published June 2012, First Place Winner in the NEC-RWA Bean Pot Reader's Choice Award - 2013) and Decadence (July 2013).

Her works of women's fiction, Meant To Be, and its sequel, Holding On, (published by Turquoise Morning Press in August and November 2012, respectively) both made the Best of 2012 list at Literati Literature Lovers.

Karen's contemporary romances Then, Again (May 2013) and Leave the Lights On (coming November 2013) are published with Samhain publishing.

To learn more about Karen you can visit her website karenstivali.com where she blogs original recipes, sassy commentary on The Bachelor, and tidbits about her journey in the writing world. Karen can also be found attempting witty banter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/karenstivali

**********GIVEAWAY**********

One randomly chosen commenter will receive a digital copy of his/her choice from Karen's backlist.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 7/30.

Book Tour for Scent of Salvation by Annie Nicholas

Today another new paranormal series begins with Scent of Salvation by Annie Nicholas.  Keep reading to get a taste of this ruggedly sexy read and be sure to add this to your bookshelf!

Love blooms across species, culture, and time.

Chronicles of Eorthe, Book 1

Stranded in another dimension, on a primitive version of Earth, Dr. Susan Barlow needs to find a way to survive. There’s no electricity, no cities, and to her shock, no humans. Instead, she faces a population of werewolves, vampires and incubi. The people are vicious but she must find her place among them. And live.

An illness is killing Sorin’s pack. As alpha it’s his responsibility to save them, but it’s a battle this warrior doesn’t know how to fight. Then a blue light in the sky brings a creature he’s never seen. She calls herself human, but to him she smells like hope.

Sorin offers Susan a safe haven in return for a cure, but she’s not that kind of a doctor. She’s a doctor of physics, not a physician. Yet as they search for a cure to save a dying people, they find something special—each other.

But even with Sorin’s protection, Susan can’t help but wonder how long she can survive in a world without humans…

EXCERPT:

Before Susan could explain anything about dimensions and gateways, the door to Kele’s chamber crashed open, and Susan jumped to the balls of her feet, prepared—to what, fight? Was she nuts?

A female blocked the entrance, her muscular physique hinting at enough strength to twist Susan into a pretzel without breaking a sweat. The newcomer flung her black hair over her shoulder.

Rising with grace, Kele straightened her dress before addressing the intruder. “Mother.”

“Daughter, I heard you’ve brought home a stray along with the Apisi alpha.” The female’s stare drilled into Susan, her sneer far from welcoming.

Susan’s breath caught in her throat. Black, soulless eyes ate her gaze. Her fingers clutched the lapels of her jacket as she pulled it closed. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and offered her hand. “I’m Dr. Susan Barlow.”

The female shifter narrowed her eyes, nostrils flaring.

Susan withdrew her untouched hand, then hid it behind her back and glanced at Kele. Maybe she should have sniffed her mother instead? She wished someone would give her the Dummies Guide to Shifter Society and a little time to study it.

Kele’s mother crossed the room in two great strides and swung her arm.

Susan did her best impression of a statue. She didn’t budge as the impact of the slap swerved her head to the side and dragged her gaze from mother to daughter. Both of them were flushed with emotion yet at opposite poles of the color spectrum—one dark as an oncoming storm and the other pale as the moonlight.

The back of Susan’s heel caught the edge of the cushion and she landed hard on her back.

The bitter flavor of blood swept over her taste buds. “What the hell?” She rubbed her jaw and glared daggers at the crazy woman looming over her. Just as quickly, she schooled her expression to something less threatening before she insulted the bigger shifter further. With the tip of her tongue, Susan explored her mouth. She didn’t encounter any big gaps, so no lost tooth. A small blessing.

Kele’s crazy mother hovered over Susan’s face and bared her teeth. In beast form, her expression would have appeared fierce, but in human form it seemed terrifying. With an easy grace, she flipped Susan onto her stomach. A bony knee pressed between her shoulder blades, making her kiss the floor. Pain shot across Susan’s upper back and neck.

“How dare you come into my den and not submit to me.”

“She’s not a shifter!” Kele shouted. “You can’t expect her to know how to be polite.”

Something ran over Susan’s hair, and the sound of sniffing followed. She tried to take a deep breath but the weight on her back made it difficult.

The nutjob exhaled in disgust. “What is she?”

“A human.” Kele peered at Susan’s throbbing face as she stroked her hair. “Please, I wanted to teach her how to behave before meeting you and father.”

“Your father.” The bitch snorted. “It’s bad enough he’s entertaining a vampire and dealing with trespassing alphas. We don’t need any more vermin within the den.”

Susan was jerked from the ground by her hair and dragged across the floor. Pain shot into her scalp while she scrambled to support her weight with her legs. 

“Let go. Let go.” The shifter world was more brutal than anything she’d ever experienced. Susan slapped at the crazy woman’s hands tangled in her hair.

“My daughter took too many liberties in offering you shelter. You’ll need to find another den to take you in.”

At a loss, Susan yanked and squirmed but only made the pain worse. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kele leap.

The petite blonde used her wiry strength to jump across the room and land on her mother’s back. The collision knocked them both to the ground in a knot of arms and legs.

Untangling her limbs from the struggling shifters, Susan could finally elbow the bitch in the face. The impact made a satisfying crunch. She pulled back her arm for a second shot, but Kele grabbed her and half carried, half dragged her out of the chamber.

“Hurry, we need to reach my father before she beats you into cinders.”

Not needing any further incentive, Susan ran after her new friend. “Your people are crazy.”

BUY LINKS:  Amazon   BN  Apple  

AUTHOR INFO:

Annie Nicholas writes paranormal romance with a twist. She has courted vampires, hunted with shifters, and slain a dragon’s ego all with the might of her pen. Riding the wind of her imagination, she travels beyond the restraints of reality and shares them with anyone wanting to read her stories. Mother, daughter, and wife are some of the other hats she wears while hiking through the hills and dales of her adopted state of Vermont.

Annie writes for Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, and Lyrical Press.

Website: www.annienicholas.com

Blog:  www.annienicholas.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Annie-Nicholas#!/pages/Annie-Nicholas/162716537103705

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annienicholas  

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3132972.Annie_Nicholas  

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Book Tour for Demon Possession by Kiersten Fay (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Today I'm bringing to you an exciting start to what promises to be an enticingly sexy sci-fi/paranormal series.  Demon Possession by Kiersten Fay combines creatures of all sorts traveling through space trying to make ends meet as a ragtag crew that makes for an intriguing kind of family.  Keep reading to get a snippet of this book along with my impressions of it.  Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win some great prizes too!

When I’m developing a character, one of the first things I do is search for an image that matches what’s in my head. Some authors chose images of well-known actors, but I prefer anime or drawn figures. This way, I find it’s much easier to imprint my character’s personality onto the image. Below are a few characters from Demon Possession. Search for Kiersten Fay on pinterest.com for more characters.

Sebastian is a demon without a home. He is the captain of Marada, a ship that has carried him and his family throughout space as they make their living as merchants.

Long ago, at the beginning of the Great Demon War, Sebastian's mother betrayed him, An act that nearly cost the lives of Sebastian and his two siblings, Calic, and Sonya. As a result, Sebastian keeps himself emotionally distant from anyone but his last remaining family. He is fiercely protective of them.

Analia is somewhat withdrawn, shy, and self-conscious, but she has an almost childlike excitement for life, and an inner light that people are drawn to. She has lived as a slave since childhood, and cannot remember her people. Her unusual gift and pointed ears are her only clues to her past. And although she had been abused by her captors, Analia proves to be extremely resilient and retains her sweet and caring disposition.

Calic, brother to Sebastian and Sonya, is second in command of Marada. He is a viscous fighter, and often, shamelessly, fights dirty. His talent is in his swordplay and speed, but he often uses his body as a weapon—as well as whatever he can get his hands on.

During the war that destroyed his home planet, Cale was devastated by the betrayal of his mate, Velicia. Demons mate for life, and Calic knows he will never have a second chance at love. He is a brooding alpha male, and a borderline womanizer. As a defense mechanism against most everybody, he uses snarky comments and dark humor. My favorite kind.

Sonya is the youngest of the three demon siblings. Though she often suffocates under her brother’s fierce overprotectiveness, she doesn’t take crap from anyone and can hold her own in a fight. Sonya thrives on being self-reliant. Aboard Marada, Sonya owns and maintains her pub, which she calls The Demon’s Punchbowl.

When she was very young, Sonya witnessed her father’s murder. As a result, she threw herself into learning the art of combat. Her greatest ability is her speed, which has so far remained unmatched.

After being enslaved on the spaceship Extarga for most of her life Analia has no memory of her life before, and has lost all knowledge of her people. Her mysterious gift and pointed ears are the only indication that she is different. 
Analia is alone, and for all she knows, she's the last of her kind. By chance Analia escapes her captors, and hides herself on the merchant ship Marada, planning to get off at the very next stop.
Unfortunately for her, there is no next stop. The crew is planning a delivery that could take months, and according to a stipulation in the newly signed contract, no one is allowed on or off the ship until the package is delivered.
When Analia is found by the  captain of the Marada, she must adapt to her new role on the ship, and try to control her newly awakened desire for the brutal and devastatingly erotic demon.

EXCERPT:

Anya watched Sebastian from the corner of her eye as he went to work cleaning away the blood. He was focused and intent on his task, but couldn't seem to stop touching her in little ways. Softly brushing her hair, her shoulder, her hip. Was he checking her for further injuries? It seemed more intimate than that. It was almost as if he didn't even realize he was doing it.

His tenderness with her was astonishing. While he was focused on wiping the blood from her cut, Anya allowed herself to study him closer. He seemed calm now, though his energy was still erratic.

When he had first returned, still resembling the monster, it had terrified her. He'd still been enraged, much more so, it seemed. And not for the first time, she'd thought he might hurt her.

But when his eyes had found hers, he'd visibly relaxed, instantly morphing back into the Bastian she recognized.

With a gentleness contradictory to the man standing before her, he cleaned her wound. By his soft pats and concerned looks, she knew now that he would never hurt her. She felt silly for ever thinking otherwise. He'd shown her nothing but kindness from the beginning.

“You're not frightened of me anymore?” he asked without averting his gaze from the cut on her cheek. 

He was almost completely back to normal now. His horns were returning to their original dark black, and his fangs had receded. Thinking back to his other form, she couldn't muster the terror it had inspired in the first place. “No,” she said simply.

“So easily?”

“You make it hard to fear you, Sebastian, when you treat me the way you do.”

“And how's that then?”

“Like you would never hurt me, no matter how angry you are, or how much you might want to.”

His golden eyes locked on hers with such intensity it stole her breath. “I would never want to hurt you.” Cupping her face, he rubbed his thumb along her unmarked cheek. “I could never hurt you. If anything ever happened to you, I fear I will be trapped on the Edge forever.” Leaning in, he lightly kissed her bruise. “I think of you constantly.” He kissed her forehead. “Always.” Then with the lightest touch, he kissed her lips. 

With words so sweet, Anya couldn't help but lean into him. This wasn't the demanding kiss from before. This was soft, smooth, tender. This time he allowed her to explore him at her leisure. His lips were soft and warm, molded to hers, and she caressed them.

Her second real kiss ever was turning out to be the most erotic experience of her life. Sebastian was watching her with his liquid gold eyes, filled with restrained lust as he let her place soft kisses on him.

When she darted out her tongue, he dropped his hands to her hips, his body wedging between her legs. The second time she darted her tongue to lick his sweet lips, he opened, his tongue meeting hers.

From deep within him, she heard the rumblings of a satisfied groan. The mere sound stroked her own lust, and she instinctively dug her nails into his shoulders. Liquid pooled between her legs. Bastian's grip tightened in her hips.

“Let me taste you,” he grated.

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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Demon Possession is an intriguing start to what promises to be a unique series with memorable characters and a paranormal/sci-fi world that sucks you in.  There's much action that is at once fast-paced but draggy at times too.  This story started off strong but went on a bit too long and it would've been beneficial to edit things out to wrap the story up faster.  I still found much to enjoy about this story and look forward to the next installment in this series.

Analia has been kept as a slave for almost her entire life because of her abilities.  She knows nothing of her past except that she can do things others can't. The day that she makes her escape puts her on a ship captained by a demon who at first tries to keep her at arms length but soon needs her like he needs air.  She's just starting to understand what freedom is and is at first scared of his claims on her but soon wants him as much as he wants her.  This new family of shipmates teaches her about living and to protect herself which she'll need once it comes to light that she is a key to ending a war and bringing those who harmed her new Mate to justice.  Analia starts off as a fragile flower but gains strength and became immensely likable.  I enjoyed her and Sebastian together and their sexual tension was off the charts which allowed for their relationship to evolve naturally.

Sebastian sees by his brother's pain the cost of a Mate's betrayal and wants nothing like that for himself.  He's immediately drawn to Analia, and though he fights it every step of the way, he eventually claims her and vows to kill those who hurt her in the past.  This leads to an even bigger war that draws all of them into it and almost kills them along the way.  It's only through their bond that they'll get out alive. Sebastian is a sexy demon who is extremely loyal and does everything he can to make Analia happy.  This leads to a relationship that is both sweet and sexy and immensely satisfying to watch evolve.

At times there was almost too much going on with too many characters introduced but there were a few that I became completely obsessed with.  From Calic who's suffering the loss of his Mate to Sonya the tough girl with a kind heart to Marik who was a slave himself, I found myself in love with these characters and counting down the days until we return to the exciting world Ms. Fay has created.  Life on the ship is exciting and homey.  The sci-fi parts are standard, along with the kinds of paranormal creatures introduced, but I still found much to admire in this story and have high hopes for the sequel as there are many strings left hanging with a character's fate left in the balance.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Kiersten Fay is the author of the steamy paranormal romance series, Shadow Quest, which combines paranormal and sci-fi romance and is loosely based on mythology and lore. Like many authors, she loves creating new worlds with the power of her mind, along with brooding alpha males and strong, yet vulnerable, female leads.

In 2012, she received a nominated for favorite author of 2012 via gravetells.com, and that same year, won Favorite Story of August for Demon Retribution, the third book in her Shadow Quest series. Before becoming an author, Kiersten worked as a graphic designer, and now enjoys creating her own book covers.
For more information on Kiersten Fay, or her upcoming romance novels, visit her website www.kierstenfay.com

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